Taur Matan Ruak

Infobox Military Person
name=Taur Matan Ruak


caption=
born=10 October 1956
died=
placeofbirth=Baguia, East Timor
placeofdeath=
nickname=
allegiance=
branch=
serviceyears=
rank=Brigadier-General
unit=
commands=Ponta Leste Sector (1979)
FALINTIL (1998–2001)
Timor Leste Defence Force (2001–current)
battles=Resistance to the Indonesian occupation of East Timor
awards=
relations=
laterwork=

Brigadier-General Taur Matan Ruak (Tetum for "Two Sharp Eyes") is the Commander of the Falintil-FDTL, the Military of East Timor. He was the last commander of Falintil, the insurgent army which resisted Indonesian the occupation from 1975 to 1999.

On December 7, 1975 Indonesia invaded East Timor, and he took to the hills with the recently formed FRETILIN Army, FALINTIL. As a combatant Taur Matan Ruak participated in battles against the Indonesian military in Dili, Aileu, Maubisse, Ossu, Venilale, Uatulari and finally in Laga on the northeastern coast, where he eventually stayed.

Brigadier Ruak’s first official appointment was at the end of 1976. From 1976 to 1979, he rose through the FALINTIL ranks in the two eastern military sectors, the Central East Sector and the Eastern Point, or the Ponta Leste Sector. Then he became a company commander.

Taur Matan Ruak and others regrouped the following day at the base of Monte Legu-Mau and recommenced guerrilla operations after the collapse of the last Timorese resistance base at Matebian Mountain on November 22, 1978.

Taur Matan Ruak was ordered to carry out guerrilla activities in the east after the death of Commander Nicolau Lobato in December 1978. During a mission to locate survivors of the annihilation campaign, Taur Matan Ruak was captured in the Viqueque area by Indonesian army forces on March 31, 1979. After 23 days he managed to escape and rejoin other FALINTIL forces in the mountains.

In March 1981 he was appointed Assistant Chief-of-Staff of FALINTIL, responsible for the operational command of the Eastern Sectors and later the Central Sector. Taur Matan Ruak was promoted and made responsible for strategic planning of commando operations in the Eastern sector in March 1983. Between 1984 and 1986 Brigadier Ruak was transferred and served as military adviser for commando operations in the Western Sector. After nearly 10 years of operational experience he was promoted to Deputy Chief-of-Staff. After 1986, he was responsible for all commando operations throughout Timor Leste.

In November 1992, Commander-in-Chief Xanana Gusmão was captured in Dili. Taur Matan Ruak was promoted to Chief-of-Staff. Mr. Ruak became the Commander of FALINTIL after the death of Commander Konis Santana on March 11, 1998. On August 20, 2000 Ray Kala Xanana Gusmão resigned from FALINTIL and Taur Matan Ruak was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of FALINTIL.

General Taur Matan Ruak is married to Mrs. Isabel da Costa Ferreira, the Vice Minister of Justice.

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